According to a report from CNBC-TV18 on May 17, the Union government of India has stated that there are no plans to merge public sector banks (PSBs). An unnamed government official confirmed that there is no proposal for a merger and that they are not aware of any discussions regarding such a merger.
Currently, India has 12 state-run banks. The number of banks reduced after a merger exercise in 2020, which saw 10 state-run banks being merged into four. These mergers included Punjab National Bank (PNB) absorbing Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank, Canara Bank absorbing Syndicate Bank, Union Bank of India absorbing Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank, and Indian Bank merging with Allahabad Bank.
In December 2023, there were speculations of a merger between Union Bank and UCO Bank, as well as Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra. However, the finance ministry clarified that these speculations were related to a parliamentary committee on subordinate legislation and had no connection to policies on bank mergers.
A document circulating on X (formerly Twitter) detailed a proposed merger between Union Bank and UCO Bank, and Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra. The document was titled “Study Visit programme of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha to Mumbai and Goa from 2 to 6 January 2024” and was attributed to Ramesh Yadav, an undersecretary of the Government of India.
The document was shared with various stakeholders, including the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. It was also addressed to the managing directors and CEOs of UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Bank of India, and Union Bank of India, as well as several insurance companies.
The finance ministry clarified that the document was solely related to the parliamentary committee on subordinate legislation and had no connection to bank merger policies. The agenda of the meeting was reportedly changed, and the new agenda did not mention any merger plans. In other words, there are currently no proposals for a merger between Union Bank of India and UCO Bank, Bank of India, and Bank of Maharashtra.
